2D Friday10-14

You let decide your engineer decide. He asks you to test the package to see where the limits are, and try to set a fast lap time.

You start out with a fresh set of the normal soft rubber and do a few installation laps. After that, the training wheels are released as your engineer asks you to come into the pits to put on some super soft tires.

You feel the fresh [Renault] engine in the back performing great, so you take a gamble. Lap by lap, you are improving your time. Your engineer on the radio encourages you to go on.

Just as you approach start finish to start a fast lap, you hear a weird noise in the engine. “FUCK!” you exclaim. You make a split-second decision to head into the pits and power down the engine. Patiently, you wait until your car silently rolls toward the pits.

As your car stalls twenty meter in front of your pitbox, you see the mechanics already rushing towards you ready to push you the final few meters.

–

Time for lunch! You wonder whether the caterer has prepared anything other than the usual low-carb drivel, but you quickly find out that it is not the case, again. Begrudgingly, you scoop the salad onto your plate, and take a seat on one of the benches.

“Aw I’m so sorry mate,” you hear a familiar voice say behind you.

You turn around. It’s Daniels’. You feel the words stinging, even though you know he didn’t mean it that way. It’s just his annoying ear-to-ear smile which makes any form of empathy seem insincere.

“Thanks,” you say, “you did well though.” Deep down you know you don’t mean it. You know you were faster by a mile, and Ricciardo couldn’t even touch your time had your engine survived.

Silently, you finish your salad and prepare to head back into the garage.

Your engineer approaches says that they were lucky you headed into the pits and powered down the engine when you did. Had you gone just a few hundred meters further, the engine would’ve had a full blowout and they would not have been able to repair the car before the second session. He asks you what you want to do for this second session.